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Luke 18 (WEB)

Jericho — Healing of Blind Men on the Road to Jericho·City

It is certain Jesus traveled the road from Jericho to Jerusalem several times on his trips between the Holy City and Galilee, as Jericho was a major stop over on the way through the Jordan Valley between the two. Although by no means the easiest route, the Jordan Valley-Jericho-Jerusalem road was one of the only ways to travel from Galilee to Jerusalem without having to go through Samaria. Many Jews famously avoided the Samaritans.

The road from Jericho to Jerusalem in the first century A.D. was a steep one, rising from 770 feet below sea level to 2,500 feet above sea level in only about twenty miles, a grade of about 3%. It was also located in an arid, rugged desert with few sources of water.

The route followed the Wadi el-Qelt, running along the ridge above the canyon. Herod had built several aqueducts along the way to channel water from the springs in the wadi to Jericho, including the spring of Parat, a few miles from Jerusalem. He also built several bridges to aid travel along the wadi.

As shown by Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, the road could be dangerous, with the wilderness areas between Jericho and Jerusalem a perfect place for brigands. The area was very difficult to patrol with so many hiding spots among the canyons and hills, and it remains so to this day. Sometime after Jesus’ time, the Romans paved much of the road and built a fort along the route, at a place referred to in the Bible as the “Ascent of Adumim” (Josh 15:7), a pass in the mountains about thirteen miles east of Jerusalem and a strategic spot on the route. As a testament to the area’s lawlessness, there has been some fortification there ever since, including a police station there today watching over the extremely politically sensitive East Jerusalem area. It was also in this area that early Christians remembered Jesus’ story about the Good Samaritan. In about A.D. 480 a monastery was built on an earlier pilgrimage site, the ruins of which are in the courtyard of the modern police station.

Also along the route is the ancient monastery of St. George. Although the monastery was built in the fifth century by John of Thebes, it was first occupied much earlier by local desert hermits. It is named for a sixth century resident of the monastery – George of Koziba. It is built into the cliffs of the Wadi el-Qelt, and is said to be the spot where Elijah stayed on his journey to the Sinai. It was destroyed in the Persian invasion of A.D. 604, rebuilt in 1179, abandoned after the Crusader era, and finally rebuilt from 1878-1901. 

See also Jericho

Jack Finegan, The Archaeology of the New Testament: The Life of Jesus and the Beginning of the Early Church, (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992), 145, 152. Finegan discusses the road from Jericho to Jerusalem and the ruins along the way.

Todd Bolen, “Jesus’ Final Journey to Jerusalem” Jerusalem Perspective Online, March 17, 2004. Online: http://www.jerusalemperspective.com/Default.aspx?tabid=27&ArticleID=1850 (accessed April 27, 2010).

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Luke 18 (WEB)

1He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray and not give up, 2saying, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God and didn’t respect man. 3A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’ 4He wouldn’t for a while; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’”

6The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. 7Won’t God avenge his chosen ones who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them? 8I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

9He also spoke this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others: 10“Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed by himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men: extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

15They were also bringing their babies to him, that he might touch them. But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16Jesus summoned them, saying, “Allow the little children to come to me, and don’t hinder them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these. 17Most certainly, I tell you, whoever doesn’t receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.”

18A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

19Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one: God. 20You know the commandments: ‘Don’t commit adultery,’ ‘Don’t murder,’ ‘Don’t steal,’ ‘Don’t give false testimony,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”

21He said, “I have observed all these things from my youth up.”

22When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

23But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich.

24Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom! 25For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”

26Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

27But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

28Peter said, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”

29He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for God’s Kingdom’s sake, 30who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the world to come, eternal life.”

31He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be completed. 32For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit on. 33They will scourge and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again.”

34They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they didn’t understand the things that were said.

35As he came near Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the road, begging. 36Hearing a multitude going by, he asked what this meant. 37They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38He cried out, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!” 39Those who led the way rebuked him, that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “You son of David, have mercy on me!”

40Standing still, Jesus commanded him to be brought to him. When he had come near, he asked him, 41“What do you want me to do?”

He said, “Lord, that I may see again.”

42Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has healed you.”

43Immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, praised God.

World English Bible · public domain · ebible.org

Jericho